In the medical field, a wide variety of implantable devices are used in conjunction with a medical lead for delivering a therapy or monitoring a physiological condition at a targeted site within the body. The lead carries sensors or electrodes for deployment to the targeted therapy delivery or monitoring site. For example, implantable leads are commonly used to form part of implantable cardiac pacemaker systems that provide therapeutic stimulation to the heart by sensing electrical activity of the heart and delivering pacing, cardioversion, or defibrillation pulses via electrodes disposed on the leads, typically near the distal ends of the leads.
Electrodes or sensors are coupled to conductors extending to the proximal lead end where each conductor is coupled to a connector included in a lead connector assembly. An implantable device is generally provided with a connector header having bores adapted for receiving a corresponding lead connector assembly. The connector bores have electrical contacts which mate with the connectors included on the lead connector assembly. When the lead connector assembly is properly inserted in the connector bore, any electrodes or sensors carried by the lead are electrically coupled to the circuitry contained in the implantable medical device via feedthroughs which connect the connector header contacts to the device circuitry. Thus, proper insertion of the lead connector assembly into the connector bore is essential for effective therapy delivery or monitoring function of the implantable medical device system.
New configurations of implantable device systems, for example down-sized leads and devices and connector headers having multiple connector bores, can make visual verification of proper lead insertion a challenge. Improper insertion can result in faulty connection between the lead and the implanted device. If not recognized at the time of the initial implant procedure, an improperly inserted lead problem requires the patient to undergo a second surgical procedure in order to troubleshoot and correct the problem. Such procedures pose added risk and inconvenience to the patient and should be avoided.